Storyful verifies social media video from Syria

Sep. 5, 2013
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In this photo taken on a government organized media tour, a Syrian soldier walks in Damascus on Aug. 24, 2013. Syrian state media accused rebels of using chemical arms on Saturday against government troops. It did not, however, show any video of soldiers reportedly affected by toxic gas. / AP

by Rem Rieder, USA TODAY

by Rem Rieder, USA TODAY

Covering the violence in Syria has been a staggering challenge for the world's news organizations.

The embattled Syrian government has been very stingy when it comes to granting visas to journalists. And the movements of the handful who are there legally are quite restricted. Others have sneaked into the country and embedded with the rebels, but, again, their range of motion is also limited.

Covering Syria is also exceedingly risky. Fifty-two journalists have died covering the fighting (two succumbed to their wounds after they left the country) since the beginning of 2012, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. CPJ ranks Syria as the most dangerous country in the world for reporters this year and last.

On-the-scene video shot by citizen journalists and shared on social media has risen to the fore in recent years, and has played an important role in news coverage as the Arab Spring stretched into summer and fall. But, given the paucity of traditional journalists on the scene, rarely if ever has it been more critical than during the bloody combat between the forces of Bashar Assad and an array of insurgents determined to overthrow him.

However, citizen-shot video is not without pitfalls. How do you know it's the real deal? Since much of it is shot by people with powerful allegiances, how can you be sure it hasn't been altered, or that it took place when and where it purportedly did? Long is the list of examples of cinéma vérité that turned out to be cinema faux.

Which brings us to Storyful, the Dublin-based news agency that verifies social media content for a living. Its clients include ABC News, Yahoo News, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, BBC and Al Jazeera.

Founded in 2010 by longtime Irish television journalist Mark Little, now its CEO, Storyful represents a new kind of news organization, one without reporters. Its mission is harnessing the power of social media.

It has no desire to unseat traditional news outlets. Rather, it aspires to be "the digital extension of the newsroom," Executive Editor David Clinch says.

Storyful monitors social media around the world. Among other things, it functions as an early warning system. For example, with events such as the apparent chemical weapons attack in Syria, "social media hits a spike, and that sends us an alert. We become aware (when news breaks) before the wires," says Clinch, a 20-year CNN veteran. And then it can alert its clients.

Speed is essential in pursuing complex stories in turbulent locales. Clinch says the firm used to speak of the "golden hour" after an event takes place. Later, he says, it becomes much more difficult to determine what actually transpired. Today, Clinch says, it's more like the golden 15 minutes.

But it's during the next stage that Storyful's work becomes most critical, as it seeks to determine if the video is as advertised. Clinch says the company's goal is to provide "360 (degree) forensic verification of video to make sure they are what they say they are."

And so it explores whether the images are real-time or old. Have they been manipulated? Where did the video come from? What's the history of the account? Was the weather at the time consistent with what the image shows? Is the mosque in the right place? What are the experts saying?

It also gets in touch with the people who shot the video. In Syria, it relies on indirect contacts. But elsewhere, Storyful staffers will talk directly with the people who supplied the material.

The company has relationships with its clients of varying intensity. One of the closest is with Yahoo News. "We work hand in glove with them," Clinch says. Says Guy Vidra, head of Yahoo News, "We value our relationship with Storyful." Clinch lists ABC News as another close partner.

In addition to working with big news organizations, Storyful also represents some of the people who create the material it scrutinizes and distributes, making sure news outlets use the right version and give the citizen journalist credit, and, in some cases, helping them make some money from their handiwork.

Like so many web start-ups, Storyful is not in the black, but it expects to be there by the end of the year. Its angel investors have put up about 3 million euros, Clinch says, and the company aims to have another round of financing soon. The Dublin-based agency has 30 employees, and its technologists and journalists work in Europe, Asia and the United States.